MEM

Common Looking People

This is the time of the Passover and the Days of unleavened bread. What do we focus on during this time? The showing of the movie "The Passion" had appropriate timing. Do we focus on the beating our Savior took or do we focus on the Lamb of God? Do we think about the powerful One who could have called legions of angels to destroy his enemies or should we think of Him as giving His life willingly so we could be forgiven and passed over during the judgment?

I could not help but think about the One who said "Love your enemies" when reading some anecdotes attributed to Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) 16th president of the United States. In his desire to abolish slavery he took this nation through a horrible Civil War. President Lincoln offered the south generous settlements after their defeat, hoping to heal the wounds caused by the war. A few days after the end of the war Lincoln was assassinated. Below are a couple of anecdotes that may help us understand his godly attitude:

On the night of December 23. 1863 Lincoln dreamed that he was in a party of undistinguished, unattractive people; when they found out who he was, they commented on his appearance. One of them said, "He’s a very common-looking man." Lincoln retorted "The Lord prefers common-looking people that’s the reason that he makes so many of them."

A guest at a reception told Lincoln that in his home state people said that the welfare of the nation depended on God and Abraham Lincoln. "You are half right," said Lincoln.

During the Civil War Lincoln had occasion at an official reception to refer to the Southerners as erring human beings rather than as foes to be exterminated. An elderly lady, a fiery patriot, rebuked him for speaking kindly of his enemies when he ought to be thinking of destroying them. "Why, madam," said Lincoln, "do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

Our Savior gave His life that we may be freed from the slavery of sin. He did this while we were yet His enemies. Can we learn a lesson from this Season? Can I love my ‘neighbor as myself?’ am I willing to ‘pray for my enemies?’

1 John 4:10 In this islove, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

2 John 1:6 And this islove, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

Proverb

And Wisdom speaks:

Proverbs 8:17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

Saying

Steven Covey: High-leverage activities come from "top down" planning. Planning is most effective when we move from the top down, from general to specific, from values to daily activities.

(Where do our values come from? Whose plan are we following?)

Bible Quiz

What did the woman do to be healed from chronic bleeding? Luke 8:43

God promised that all peoples on earth would be blessed through whom? Genesis 12:1-3

Name the city to which Joshua sent two spies. Joshua 2:1

Who will set himself up in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God? 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

What did a woman at Shunem make for Elisha? 2 Kings 4:8-10

Who was the woman Samson loved? Judges 16:3-4

Who said, "I cannot carry all these people by myself, the burden is too heavy for me"? Numbers 11:10, 14

Rural Wisdom (Jerry Apps)

Conundrums: (think)

Our strength can be our weakness, our weakness our strength

The longest road somewhere can be the shortest

Staying behind sometimes is the best route for getting ahead

To become full we need to become empty

That which is most hidden from us is often most present

Hebraic Lesson

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, which is the day following Passover. It is a seven day festival to the Eternal. For seven days the Almighty forbade the people to have any leavened bread in their houses. Ex. 12:14-17

Leaven pictures sin which we need to be continually putting out of our lives.

Matthew 16:6 Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. v.12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Luke 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: Luke 12:1…Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your glorying is not good. Know you not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, not idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners. Shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Spiritually, the feast is kept in sincerity and truth. Sincerity involves purity and serving God with a pure heart. It involves putting away the sin in our lives, and separating ourselves from all evil that has a corrupting influence in the life of the believer in Messiah.

Definition

Oxymoron Definition:

A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined.

EXAMPLE: "Oxymoron" - Having the Ten Commandments removed from the Courthouse while making people in court swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God, while their right hand is on the Bible!

Did you know:

A baby gray whale drinks enough milk to fill more than 2,000 bottles a day?

An onion, apple and potato all have the same taste. The perceived differences in flavor are caused by their smell.

Soybeans – The original soy plant grew close to the ground. Sometime around the 11th century B.C. farmers encouraged this legume to grow upright. Today’s soybean plants typically stand three feet high and bear 60 – 80 pods of three beans each.

Soybeans grow well even in marginal soils and possess the ability to draw nitrogen from the air and transfer it to the ground through their roots … soybeans offer the highest quality balanced protein of any plant food and contain all eight essential amino acids. They have no cholesterol and very little saturated fat. Soy foods may prevent or reverse several diseases. They can help with just about everything except improving your sense of humor--- that is up to you!

Humor

KIDS IN CHURCH
3-year-old, Reese:
"Our Father, Who does art in
heaven, Harold is His name.
Amen."
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A little boy was overheard praying:
"Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am."
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A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments.
They were ready to discuss the last one.
The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what it was.
Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted,
"Thou shall not take the covers off the neighbor's wife."
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After the christening of his baby brother in church,
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied,
"That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a
Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys."
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One particular four-year-old prayed,
"And forgive us our trash baskets
as! we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."
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A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5 and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
"If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'"
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"
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Children’s Story

Number Eleven

It was the early morning hours when Jeremiah noticed the long thin, fiery cloud overhead began to turn a soft white and was accumulating at the head of the caravan of Israelites. He knew it was time to settle down again. Judah, being at the head of the line, was probably starting to set up camp by now. The wagons carrying the tabernacle would be arriving soon so the tabernacle and the walls which surround the tabernacle would be all assembled by the time the sacred ark and holy utensils arrived.

There was a lot of chatter as a horsemen riding along the trail going toward the rear of the column was alerting the clan leaders of the new camp site ahead. Jeremiah walked among those in his charge and reminded them there was still a day’s travel before they would arrive. Returning to his family Jeremiah asked Benjamin to go find Joseph, to send him back to the family. Benjamin would take over leading their sheep. Father Jeremiah would be leaving the family for the rest of the trip; Joseph would then be able to help care for his mother, sisters and any of the elderly of the clan, if the need arose.

Joseph soon arrived, Jeremiah began to prepare to go ahead to stake out the location at the new sight for his family and those in his charge. One of the most crucial parts of every move was securing campsites for those in your charge. This was one responsibility Jeremiah took very seriously. YHVH said when to move and when to stop. He showed them the way, however, the people had to respond. They had to pack-up and move out. They had to stake out their area and set-up camp. Now YHVH had assigned where the tribes would be located in reference to the tabernacle, but each family had to care for their own goods and remain organized. Each tribe had clans; each clan had sub-clans and so on until every family was accounted for. To find where one lives today we have addresses. Every family among the Israelites then had an address so to speak. For one to find Joseph, son of Jeremiah, of the clan of Tahan, of the tribe of Ephraim, one would go to the west side of the tabernacle and find the standard for the tribe of Ephraim and look for the clan flag of Tahan, then enquire where to find the tent of Jeremiah to locate Joseph his son. Lineage was of extreme importance among the Israelites.

Tama had already fixed honey and curds, along with some date cakes for the family’s breakfast. Jeremiah gave the family a hug and attached a string of figs to his belt with a goat’s skin of water. He also took some multi-colored clan cloth and a specially designed tool he used, that doubled for a walking stick. This tool was more than a walking stick; it had a sharp metal end used for digging, chopping and defense if necessary. It would not take him long, by hastening along the trail of the slow moving caravan and taking a few short cuts, to reach the head of the column by noon.

Jeremiah arrived where Judah was camping and noted the tabernacle already taking shape. He stood there a moment to again marvel at the leadership of YHVH. How, could YHVH consistently find the perfect spot for them to settle? There again was a valley with fields gently sloping upward so all the tribes around the valley could look down into the valley to see the tabernacle and activities of the priest and elders. They could clearly see the cloud which reminded them of His closeness at all times. In the distance were green fields for the flocks and herds. A river of water was flowing from the hills in the east, winding through the valley toward the west.

Jeremiah set out to the west side of the valley. Arriving where his people were to camp; but before he started his duties he lifted his hands to the cloud and uttered a prayer. Thank you Great One, You again have found rest for your people, You have brought us to this wonderful place. We are blessed to be the recipients of the blessings promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Soon you will lead us up to the land You promised to them. Again you have given us safety, food, water and provided us with shelter by day and light by night, blessed be YHVH.